A weekend away in Montreal

A real hoot: the Just for Laughs festival (Picture: Hemis/Alamy) Hemis/Alamy

The tubby 40-something comedian on stage was making self-deprecating jokes about his weight and riffing on the simple joys of life in the pre-internet age. The audience at the Comedyworks club lapped it up – despite looking way too young to remember life before YouTube and Facebook.

The winters in Canada’s second city might be long and hard – but Montrealers certainly know how to get the most out of their short, hot summers. The city comes alive with stand-ups, musicians and a host of other artistes appearing in a dozen-odd festivals focusing on everything from Francophone music to circus arts.

But the big daddies of its festival scene are the internationally renowned Montreal Jazz Festival (montrealjazzfest.com) – which has just wrapped – and Just for Laughs (hahaha.com), the world’s biggest comedy fest.

“Jazz has a long heritage in Montreal,” says Andre Menard, who co-founded the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1980. “Big-name acts have been coming here ever since Prohibition when American jazz singers like ‘Cab’ Calloway would cross the border to get a gig.”

Indeed, a who’s who of jazz greats has played at the festival over the last 36 years including Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis and Montreal-born Oscar Peterson. And they’re still coming: among the big names who appeared this year were Jamie Cullum, Stanley Clarke and Bebel Gilberto.

This month’s Just for Laughs festival, which runs until the end of July, is just as big a deal in the comedy world.

Detail of Rodin’s L’Age d’Airain (Picture: Hemis/Alamy)

Everyone from Jim Carrey to Jon Stewart has appeared at its gala night special over the years – and among the big names appearing at this year’s three-week bash are Mike Myers, Trevor Noah (who is taking the helm at America’s Daily Show in the autumn), and Jimmy Carr, making his 11th Just For Laughs appearance – at this year’s no-holds barred “Nasty Show”.

“Appearing at Just for Laughs has become a rite of passage for comedians,” says Robbie Praw, vice-president of programming. “And this year, as usual, we’ll be featuring the usual sh*tload of great North American and British stand-ups.”

But it’s the chance to catch the eclectic mix of established names and rising stars, and maybe to see the next big thing live on stage in this bilingual city, that helps give both the city’s jazz and comedy festivals such a special feel.

Bed down: old school luxury

The high-rise Intercontinental (intercontinental.com/montreal; doubles from C$236/£120) is close to Old Montreal – whose origins date back to the days of New France – and a 10-minute walk from downtown and the Place des Arts, the focal point of both festivals.

If you’re feeling flush, you might prefer the century-old Ritz-Carlton (ritzcarlton.com), which has recently undergone a £100m refurbishment, where big-name celebrities stay when in town. A double room starts at C$500 (£260). But if such prices are beyond your reach, fret not: you can always enjoy afternoon tea at the Palm Court for a mere C$32 (£18).

The city’s restaurant scene is one of the most vibrant in North America, thanks to Montreal’s Anglo-French heritage and rich cultural mix, with sizeable Jewish, Italian and Portugese communities.

Schwartz’s (schwartzsdeli.com) is perhaps Montreal’s most well-known Jewish deli (now owned by local lass Celine Dion). But if you want to avoid the long queues, make for Wilensky’s (wilenskys.com), an authentic Jewish deli dating back to the Depression-era Thirties which appeared in the Hollywood movie The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. You can’t beat its grilled meat sandwich, washed down with a cherry-cola soda. For outstanding French cuisine though, I’d recommend Verses (versesrestaurant.com) in Old Montreal.

If you’re looking for somewhere new, check out Café Melbourne (facebook.com/melbcafe), run by two Australians with typical Aussie humour: “Our French isn’t good but our coffee is!” Ikanos (restaurantikanos.ca) is another new addition to the city, serving fantastic modern Greek cuisine.

After dinner, if you want to hang out with the stars of the jazz fest or Just for Laughs, you’re likely to spot the odd famous face – like Jimmy Carr or maybe Omid Djalili – at the chic SIX Resto Lounge at the Hyatt Regency (montreal.hyatt.com).

In the bag: home-grown fashion and bargains galore

Downtown shopping is focused on nearby Rue St Catherine. It’s home to the upscale department store, The Bay (thebay.com), iconic Canadian fashion chain outlet Roots (roots.com) and the province’s leading fashion store, Simons (simons.ca), where I picked up a pair of snazzy bathing trunks.

To shop ‘til you drop, head for the 175-outlet Eaton Centre, home to chains such as Gap to Bath & Body Works (centreeatondemontreal). If bargains are your thing, you’ll love Dollarama (Canada’s answer to Poundland), selling everything from keyrings to candy for a buck or two.

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Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire

There is always something happening in Canada’s second (and largest French-speaking) city. The current must-see is Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (mbam.qc.ca; until 18 October), featuring sculptures such as The Thinker, some of which have never before been seen in North America.

The city is also a treasure trove of late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture. Take a walk down Saint Jacques Street (once Canada’s Wall Street) where the country’s banks originally had their headquarters, and visit the Golden Square Mile where a century ago the city’s Anglophone industrialists built their mansions.

I once fleetingly wondered if I myself had what it took to be a stand-up. But that was long ago. Nowadays I’m content to visit the Just For Laughs festival, see the acts and get the T-shirt.

DETAILS: MONTREAL

Canadian Affair offers four nights at Le Sheraton Centre Montreal from £225pp room only, with flights from Gatwick from £425pp (canadianaffair.com).